Amazing multi course meal sitting around a counter as the little tastes are prepared. Expensive but well worth the experience

I waited 10 days before writing this review to capture the lasting impression of Justin's team at TRUST. It's easy to be wow'd in the moment here-- in every bite and perfectly paired sip of alcohol. This restaurant has the highest reviews of any restaurant I've ever seen, in both quantity and stars. So you know the food is going to be on another caliber. Therefore, that is not what my review will focus on. Before TRUST I could not tell you the first names of any server or chef , regardless of how excellent their service was, 10 days after dining. But I vividly remember Justin (head chef and owner), Kyle (chef), Jason (sommelier), and Chewy (assistant chef). This team works in lock-step to pump out an astonishing amount and variety of food. Imagine being in a room with experts of their craft, and you are their focus. It's both educational and extremely engaging. Not to mention fun and hilarious-- these guys are funny! Serious about their work yet they seem to love to interact with each other and the guests. My favorite dish of the night was the sautéed sunchokes. Having lived in the North, these root vegetables are a staple this time of year yet I have never had them so delicious. They melted in your mouth with deep, rich, umami flavor. Jason (Sommelier) is a delight to talk to. He is unassuming about his volume of knowledge-- he's extremely chill. He said a quote that I still remember: "wine's purpose is to aid in the enjoyment of life". At the end of day, even if you can nail all of the notes and subtleties of the wine, the point is to be enjoying yourself. This was a gift from my mother for my brother and I to dine with her. I will not be forgetting about the magic of Justin and the team anytime soon. read more

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If you're not a wine drinker, I wouldn't recommend Trust unless someone else is paying for you. Half of the experience was how well they paired each wine with each dish and the backstory of each wine. They poured everyone a good amount of wine so you'll definitely be satisfied if you enjoy wine. For the non-alcoholic options, there was iced tea and a variety of carbonated drinks. They are separate from Detention so you couldn't drink their Smith tea from Portland. The building for Trust is right next to Detention but you can wait inside Detention until its time to eat. Plenty of parking in the front on a Friday night because Detention was closed. The dining area is a L-shaped bar with about 12+ people so it's not super intimate but not too busy either. You get front row seats of Chef Justin cooking with his sous chef, Kyle. He explains each dish well especially on where it came from and how he thought of the concept. The food is tasty and if you have a regular appetite, you'll be pretty full. If you came straight from a workout, you'll be comfortable. The food is hearty and well-presented without the frills and decently portioned. Chef Justin and his team encourage bringing any leftovers home so don't feel awkward asking for to-go boxes for any of the 13 courses. I enjoyed the majority of the dishes as it was a good range of vegetables, meats, carbs and seafood. And there were 3 desserts which I'll never object to. Even the desserts ranged from fruity, rich and creamy, and a baked pastry with ice cream. Overall, it was a very wholesome and fun experience with a similar vibe to Detention but obviously better because you can talk to the chef and sommeliers. The other guests were pretty interesting as well so a very good social activity without the pretentiousness. read more

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Incredible Experience February 5, 2025 New England Theme. Had to take food home Great Food Great Service read more

Over the years, I have heard so many amazing things about this exclusive dinner party with life changing food. I've past by countless times but always thought it was out of my realm of possibility. While this extravagant well crafted 13 course meal wasn't life changing or the best thing I've eaten this year, it was still a damn good meal that changed my perspective on food. I booked a solo reservation the day of and was surprised to see that there were still a few open slots. Since I was celebrating my birthday, I just went for it and decided not to wait to try this place any longer. The menu is of course a mystery and the anticipation was building. On the Saturday of thanksgiving weekend, the menu started off with their "freshest bread" with house cultured butter. The bread goes straight from the oven to right in front of you. It was a piping hot, soft and pillowy brioche ball. In my opinion, there was too much Maldon salt on top which made it too salty in some bites. This was a bit of a running issue I had with some of the dishes. (3.5/5) We were then offered a salad with endive, frisée, apple, pickled cranberries, walnuts, puffed quinoa, and a shallot dressing. One of the better salads I've had in awhile and I was able to finish it all surprisingly.(4/5) After the salad was a tostada with hokkaido scallop and an avocado mousse. This dish wasn't all too special to me, but I liked how I could taste all the ingredients. (3/5) Another unique dish was the persimmon with cherry over spiced creme fraiche. I think the spices for this was a bit overpowering because I couldn't taste the natural flavor of the fruit. One of my least favorites. (2.5/5) We pick back up with a dish of lobster, octopus, and shell beans. The proteins were both extremely tender and sweet. I liked the texture and flavor that the fried green element brought to the plate. Normally not a fan of beans, but I enjoyed them here.(4/5) Next course was some kind of cheesy spaghetti. The pasta was handmade and the texture was different from any Italian pasta I've had. The flavor and texture reminded me of Asian egg noodles. The cheese sauce wasn't all that special in my opinion, but the star was the pasta. (3/5) I experienced the most unique way of serving broccoli ever and it was their "Korean fried broccoli". The broccoli is deeply smoked, battered and fried, then tossed in a soy gochujang sauce. Very different and a fun way to eat a vegetable. It was very much like a vegetable tempura. The broccoli itself still retained its texture. I thought that this was a cool concept, but the flavor was way too smoky for me to taste the sauce itself. (3/5) The final course before being introduced to the meats was this slow roasted maitake served with fried sweetbreads, pickled shallot and jalapeño, and butternut squash sauce. All the elements worked and tasted best together. You'd never find me eating sweetbreads voluntarily, but it was pretty good when fried. (3.5/5) The duck breast was served over mole and dried salsa. It was my first time trying mole so it was very intense. Very dark and rich with the chile being the flavor that stood out the most. The dry salsa added the crunch factor but not exactly sure what it was. (3/5) Can you really go wrong with steak and potatoes? Their version was a wagyu picanha and beef fat sous vide potatoes. Very simple preparation but one of my favorite courses since I love steak. There was shaved truffle on top but that didn't add too much to me. (4/5) Finally, dessert was served. At this point I was bursting from the seams so it was a struggle to the finish line. Desserts included this small cube of yuzu (idk what it was tbh, solid but not frozen like ice cream) and fresh whipped cream, strawberries, and citrus. Very light and refreshing. (4/5) The other dessert was a semifreddo with salted caramel, chocolate sauce, and cookie crumble. Very good dessert when eaten all in one bite. It had a sweet and salty combo that reminded me of a pretzel for some reason. (3.5/5) To finish, we had a freshly baked pastry. I forgot what it was called but it was similar to a croissant. It was warm and had a sugar coating which made for a satisfying conclusion. (4/5) All dishes were served with a wine pairing and I liked that they were constantly refilling our glasses. Nothing stood out to me but I enjoyed all of them. We started with this champagne that had a strong green apple flavor to it. And we ended with a vermouth to pair with the dessert. (3.75/5) Service and experience overall was the best part to me. All the staff was friendly and welcoming and Chef Justin was very lively and engaging. I'd definitely be interested in trying one of their themed dinners like the ultimate steak dinner or seafood ones. The level of enjoyment fluctuated for me and I didn't feel like the menu worked all together as it seemed a bit random. Overall, I'm glad to finally experience Trust and would recommend it to adventurous eaters. read more

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How does this place not have Michelin stars yet? Maybe they're too cool for it? Seriously though, I've eaten at a lot of Michelin restaurants, and this one hits the high bar. It may be a little more punk rock than other fine dining establishments, but the food was amazing. You can tell everyone at the establishment absolutely loves food and what they do, and it shows in their craft. $250 all inclusive of alcohol pairings is a steal. They keep the drinks flowing, the conversation and explanations are entertaining and not stuffy, and it was all around an amazing experience. I tried so many new dishes and items I have never had before. read more

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The best dining experience we have ever had! We went to the Trust Dinner Party on a Friday night. A 2.5 hour culinary experience full of fun chatter, creative plates, and wonderfully paired wines. There was so much passion behind each dish. Each of the 12 courses hit it out of the park. We had: a greens salad (avocado, cucumber, edamame and other goods), bread and butter (this was truly the best bread I've had in my life... so fluffy, warm, and melted in your mouth), eggplant, albacore, paella, the most thinly sliced beef that was grilled to perfection and could be cut with a fork, mole chicken tacos, a potato/bacon/onion tart, lamb, a pistachio cake with homemade vanilla ice cream, and a hazelnut pudding of sorts. (Obviously I'm butchering each food's name.) The variety was incredible. We will be back!! read more

Hot take here. Trust was good. But was it amazing? Idk... First of all, the pros - it was a fun and unique experience and the chef was a hoot! The food comes with unlimited wine pairings by a sommelier. And the quantity of food was way more than I expected... I don't remember exactly but I think it was 12 courses (including not one but two desserts)! Now, the cons - we came for a friends birthday and tried the Steak Dinner. It was just way too much steak for me... and I don't necessarily love rare cooked meats. I think this was probably just the wrong type of dinner for me. But I would also be wary of something like the Trust dinner where the chef might prepare a meat or seafood I don't like... You'd really have to *trust* the chef (see what I did there?? ;P) I guess there's no winning for someone like me who is a picky eater here! I also thought it was weird that you share plates with whoever is sitting next to you. The other issue I had is the price point. I understand that the cuts of meat were premium, the wine pairings were unlimited, etc. But I just can't justify paying that much for a meal that I didn't absolutely love. I'm also not a big wine drinker, so perhaps that expertise was lost on me. If you're like me and prefer to be in control of your meal, I'd recommend the sister restaurant Detention next door. They have similar menu items and you will leave feeling just as full for half the price! read more

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We went to Trust for date night on a Friday, and reserved 2 spots for their Dinner Party! We arrived late and they saved us our appetizer and wine, and were able to enjoy the rest of the fabulous evening. Plate after plate, wine after wine, my oh my we had a great time! We were so full we had to pack most of the skirt steak, but our favorites were the salad with endives/anchovies, salad with caviar over sun dried tomatoes, house-made pasta with king crab and mushrooms, creamed corn dish with corn nuts, iberico ham with pickled cherries and house-made sauce, lamb chops with house-made pickled strawberry sauce (AMAZING), and the dessert (see the picture!). The chef is extremely entertaining and goes into the detail behind every dish, and the staff are all amazing. They have different themes almost every day with courses and dishes changing constantly. Many of the people we sat beside have gone multiple times. We'll be back! read more

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Chef Kyle has really settled in and taken command of Trust. I had the pleasure of attending the Trust Dinner Party and it was firing on all cylinders. All the seasonal and fresh ingredients were insanely prepared to perfection. I've been to Trust many times over the years and the food Kyle and team put out last night stands up to the high bar that has been set at Trust. And as always, service was spectacularly led by Lehena. Still the best restaurant in Orange County. read more

I had a great time here at Trust. The food is just super tasty and very fresh. The service is also very friendly and polite. The ambiance is inviting and very pleasant. 5 stars. read more

This is an ultimate dining experience. Price for value is through the roof thanks to high quality food made with high quality ingredients by high quality people. 13 courses plus wine pairings make the two hour culinary adventure race past you. The chefs are clearly passionate about their food and it comes across in the presentation and taste. Beyond their contribution, the environment inside is beyond fun. While the chefs take their food seriously, they are still fun and lighthearted, which makes this culinary experience more of a dinner party than a dinner. We sparked great conversation with the chefs as well as the other guests as we all sat around the kitchen enjoying the meal together. I can't recommend this place enough. If you're looking for a great pre fixe menu, this is the place to go. read more

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Fantastic food and excellent service. Great atmosphere with friends or for a date. The oysters and martinis are delicious.

Food- 9/10, wish we had a little caviar or Japanese wagyu to finish the meal, the food in general was great. It was a lot of food in 2 hours, wish we had more time to digest each dishes. Drinks- 10/10, wine was great, and I certainly appreciate how they paired different dishes with different wines. Dessert- 7/10, the dessert was not that impressive also the dessert wine was not that great. Chef- Justin was like an actor, very witty and loved his energy, Jason the one knows all the wines, thanks for keep pouring me wines Would I come back for 250 person each? I think so, But please include some caviar or Japanese wagyu read more

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Unreal. Killer food, killer experience. I'm sure it was pricey - and rightly so (we didn't pay), but truly exceptional. 12 courses, every one outstanding. Branzino to steak to empanadas to house made pasta. Perfect desserts. Great people and service. Will definitely come back! read more

Top notch food/wine experience. Nothing like Ive ever experienced before. Should I say this because I might not get a seat anymore.

Semi private dinning with 18 guests. The chief as your host and your personal sommelier. Quite an experience for a true foodie at heart! We made reservations to the ultimate crab dinner with all inclusive price of $257.50/person (includes food, drinks, tax, tip, fees) and I must say I was a tad disappointed. The crab was sprinkled on the majority of the dishes and although each dishes was delicious and unique on it's own. For the price I did not think it was worth it. My absolute favorite of the night was crab with caviar on top- amazing texture and taste. It was fresh, simple and perfect. The caviar is high quality and tasted amazing! Many years ago we dined at the Playground and happened to come in on a day that they had fresh Alaska king crab. They made us 3 dishes with a LOT of crab in it and it was one of the best meal I've ever had. I guess The staff was great as alway. Nice, welcoming and accommodating. You can feel their passion for food. I've had the opportunity to dine twice on the ultimate steak night over the years and that's worth the money! With the construction right outside the restaurant (entire strip) parking can be challenging. I recommend carpooling. There are parking structures you can park at. Our parking cost was $3 for close to 3 hours- super cheap. read more

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I've had the pleasure of experiencing a meal at Trust back when it was Playground 2.0 and now that it is Trust the experience is just as good. The atmosphere is relaxed and feels like you're sharing a meal with a bunch of friends at home, a concept they wanted to achieve and successfully do with humor and gusto. I love the intimacy of being able to connect so closely with the people creating and preparing the food you're eating. Food is always exceptional (as are the wines) and for the price point I find it's extremely well valued. What I love is that you can come back on multiple occasions and have a different experience because the menu is ever changing. My friends and I are considering making this a quarterly outing. We just had too much fun the last time around! read more

I don't want to spend too much time on this review because all it'll amount to is to say this place is great, I've never had a better brioche bun in my whole entire life. In fact I've never had a better piece of bread in my whole entire life. Caviar and tuna is a delicious combination. And although my limited phone conversation with a woman who was their concierge was not very pleasant and felt was trying to rush me off.... Service was exceptional once we arrived. I had emailed a couple of times to make sure two different ticket orders sat together and when we arrived we were not seated as requested. However, host took care of it right away and beyond that service was impeccable. Ambiance is laid back with frequent fills of wine. We did this to celebrate my bfs birthday and although I'm not too thrilled to drop 250$ on a single person for dinner I'd do this again. Unique experience that I think is worth the hype. read more

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AMAZING!!!! The best dining experience I've ever had. So unique, so delicious, so professional, so clean, so personable, so memorable, and did I already say so delicious?! If you're a TRUE FOODIE, this is something you have to experience for yourself. You have to love food to really get the value out of this though. You don't order your food, you just show up and a different dish is set before you every few minutes. My husband and I ate every single thing put in front of us, and took home what we couldn't finish. Everything was so fresh, it's actually hard to describe how great it was but I'm trying lol! And besides the outstanding food, the ambiance was very special. We felt like we were in a chef's home at a dinner party which is exactly what they're going for. You get to watch the chef's prepare your food, ask questions, and hear the inspiration behind everything they cook. If I could afford it, I would be here every time the door was open. Still trying to figure out how to budget this to make it happen . Bravo to this wonderful team!! read more

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One of my new favorite dining experiences! I've been wanting to come here ever since they were Playground 2.0 but wasn't sure if it'd be worth the cost. Finally decided to bite the bullet after seeing they had a master sommelier dinner for $200 which included tax, tip, and unlimited wine pours. It was so fun sitting at the bar and watching Chef Jason and his staff work their magic in the kitchen while interacting with the customers. We had about 13 courses which I'd say 10 were delicious and 3 were average which is pretty good. I was introduced to new things I've never tried before and loved that they kept the wine pouring. I would definitely say I got my money's worth. Also, don't feel pressured to finish everything because you can ask for a takeout box for anything you don't finish! Overall I would highly recommend Trust for a special occasion. It's a unique experience you can't really get anywhere else in OC and I love that they have different themes every week. Will definitely be back! read more

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Unbelievably delicious! It was our second time here, and TRUST did not disappoint!!! Hands down one of the best restaurants I've ever been to! Thank you for giving us a memorable night!! We will definitely be back! read more

Trust - Dessert - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

This was for the ultimate steak dinner experience. I was looking for something unique for my s/o's birthday and this nailed it! The chef was engaging through the whole meal, explaining each course, the original thought behind the dish, and conversing with each guest. We recently moved from San Francisco to the area and for a "big city" type of meal with amazing ingredients, this checked all of the boxes. read more

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Hilarious atmosphere, incredible wine selection curated and explained by the friendliest som. The chef is quirky and hilarious truly a comedian which may offend some. Each dish was absolutely magnificent it was SO MUCH FOOD read more

To date, I've eaten at Trust three times since Chef Justin and Tricia's hand off to Chef Kyle and Lehena. It's time for an updated review now that I have enough information to give it a fair shake. My wife and I have been coming to Trust (formerly Playground 2.0) since day 1 and have been avid supporters ever since. We love this restaurant concept and the people that have run it throughout the years. We have been fortunate enough to have spent countless memorable evenings with friends and family here. It truly holds a special place in our hearts. With that in mind, our first visit in November was uneven at best. Chef Kyle was just getting his feet wet and it felt like he was hamstrung by trying to (or having to) make Justin's and Jason's classic Trust dishes (we were there for the 'Trust Dinner Party'). While he did OK, one couldn't help but to compare the entire experience to what Justin and Jason did prior. Both my wife and I came home a bit disappointed and weren't optimistic about things going forward. For round 2, I took two friends there in late December and things had improved dramatically. Chef Kyle seemed more comfortable (he's not a joke cracking bigger than life personality like Justin... but he's great in his own way), Lehena absolutely nailed the wine pairings (IMO the best they've ever been), and I'd say the food was about average for a Trust Dinner Party (which to be fair is a really high bar). Things were looking up! And for the final round, we attended the NYE dinner with 4 friends, all of whom have eaten at Trust in past. And the final verdict... and I don't say this lightly... is that the NYE dinner was one of the 5 best dinners I've ever had in Trust. I've eaten at almost every dinner theme ever offered there, and many not offered to the public. The only 'weak' dishes were what I would consider old staples of Trust (the freshest bread and the 'Ride or Die' salad) which I've just had too many times to really love anymore. But every other dish was simply spectacular. Everyone in our party agreed. It was one of those dinners where you can't stop thinking about it the next day. Chef Kyle has been unleashed! And again, Lehena killed it with the wine pairings. If you are wondering if you should check out this latest iteration of Trust, don't hesitate. This is still easily one of the top restaurants in all of SoCal. read more

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We Had a wonderful time at Playground 2.0, Chef Jason was very enthusiastic and passionated about cooking. He is super knowledgeable in preparating the foods. We sat in for the Ultimate Steak Tasting Dinner, we each had at least 8 rounds of steaks, and Jason would patiently explain to us what they are, and what is our expectation in texture and tasting. The steak dinner alone was spectacular, with wine pairing, it was beyond awesome! The Japanese waygu was the highlight of the night, the waygu steak smells so good, fat and meat were in perfect balance distributed evenly across the steak, it was buttery and melted in my mouth without any effort. All of my friends had a wonderful time, and had really enjoyed the night with Chef Jason and his crews, I promise we will return for 2nd round in the near future. Thank you Chef Jason! https://www.instagram.com/p/B4luV8FHP-U/?utm_medium=copy_link read more

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Trust? What an incredible leap of faith. It was easy to trust the Trust Dinner Party team with their strong reputation and assuring reviews. Famous for their extravagant intimate coursed meals, 4 of us came here to celebrate my friend's birthday. Her birthday was on Italian themed dinner - $225 includes 18 courses of delicious food, wine pairings, tax and gratuities. It is truly a good deal for the value we got out of the experience. Please let the restaurant know in advanced if you or a member of your group has food allergies since this is a coursed meal and they prep much of this ahead of time. If it is your first time here, I recommend parking in the parking structures off Spurgeon between Fourth and Fifth. Trust has a low key doorway to the left of Detention (formerly Playground). Being the sister restaurant, the staff at Detention kindly walked me over to Trust since I got a little lost. So our glorious Italian Night was led by chef Justin Werner, his two sous chefs and a fantastic kind and knowledgable sommelier. There were 18 seats in the restaurant and every seat had a great view of the staff performing flawlessly to delivery us a fantastic meal. We started off with glorious bread, so crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, accompanied by a tasty dipping sauce with tiny bits of herbs enhancing the sauce and adding to the bread's flavor. SO GOOD. I wanted to keep eating but I knew if I went overboard with the bread I would not make it through the entire meal. This was followed by scallops, 2 salads: an arugula generous with cheese and an endive tomato and anchove. Then this amazing broccoli rab charred on top of ricotta. What a tasty healthy-enough combination. Chef Justin was very strategic to give us those light tasty bites so that we can get through the whole Italian meal. Afterwards we enjoyed some risotto, artichoke hearts, cheesy pappardelle with plenty of truffles. And one of my favorite bites was the gnocchi topped with salmon. Salmon is usually basic but this was the fanciest good amount of fat salmon with the crispiest more glorious skin ever. This was followed by quail legs, filet mignon and then three desserts! Our glasses were filled the whole times as the lovely sommelier came around telling us great stories for the Italian wines. Naturally we started off with white wines, then red wines and then a liquer to help us digest and to finish off with desserts. One of my friends had food allergies and they handled it really well. For the effected items they received their own specially prepared portion with alternative touches. I had such a great time with my friends. So happy to celebrate my friend's birthday here. Will definitely be back for more special occasions! read more

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If I could give more than 5 starts, I would! This is an unbelievable place! I had an amazing culinary experience. The chefs are full of passion and it shows! The entire crew is on point! Very good vibe! This is a must visit! I took part in the "Smoke & Embers" dinner. Can't wait to try the others! Did I mention the people!! Amazing talented group! read more

I've been wanting to go to Playground 2.0 for YEARS. Can't believe it took a pandemic to actually get my butt over here but it was SO WORTH IT. My friend and I made reservations for Playground 1.9 (cus y'know, COVID-19) on a Saturday night. The theme was "Ultimate Steak Dinner." Both of us were super excited for the meat and wine pairings. Although the atmosphere did not feel as intimate or "grand" due to the outdoor seating, either under the gigantic white tent or their normal patio, the customer service and food were top notch nonetheless. Loved Chef Jason's charisma and the fact that he mingled with each table. Shout out to one of our servers, Kaylie (sp?) from Canada, for being above and beyond for us! I honestly don't know where to start with the food, but these were my top 5 (out of 10? 12?) of the night: - Falafel with eggplant. I was never a fan of falafel prior to this since often times, they are overly dry and under seasoned. Not this version! Super flavorful and the sauce/dip was to die for. - Flank steak. Medium rare cooked perfectly. I would've never guessed it was a flank steak if they did not announce it to everyone lol. - Broccolini with buckwheat. Loved me some yummy veggies. - Wagyu outside skirt steak, which was better than the vaca vieja ("old cow," aged steak), in my opinion because WAGYU, and I've also concluded that I'm not a fan of aged steaks. They tend to get a bit too gamey. - A5 Miyazaki Wagyu. Buttery and melted in your mouth. UGH wish I was baller enough to order more. We were worried that we wouldn't get our $200 worth of food and alcohol but by the end of the night, we were beyond pleased and satisfied with our dining experience. I hope the Playground team will decide to stay in California for the long haul!! If not, this place will always have a special place in my heart. read more

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One of the best restaurant in Santa Ana for sure! I love there's a little bit of Asian flavor in some dishes. Recommended! read more

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We were told that the waiting line will be long but instead we got in quickly, the food servers were very friendly and helpful . Definitely a family ,comfort , delicious food. read more

Anything I say here is going to be redundant to the other incredible, totally warranted 5-star reviews for Trust... but I'll try. 14 gorgeous courses, thoughtful progression, expert cookery, great beverage options for non-drinkers (Trish was the most welcoming host! You're the best!), and several "best evers": focaccia, quail, salmon with the MOST exquisitely crispy skin, quail, perfectly prepared wagyu petite filet, and my new answer for "What would you want to eat for your last meal?"...Chef Justin's crab risotto. If you aren't a "closer" like me (wanna eat an AYCE KBBQ out of business? I'm your guy.), don't try to eat everything...they'll let you take it home. Did I eat 60-70% of every plate my lady and I received? Yes, thank you; yes I did. Did we leave a single crumb or shred of meat behind? No. Could I have eaten another bite? Nope. Chef Justin literally sources the best ingredients from all over the world, and his passion for food absolutely radiates from every plate. His love and respect for his food, team, and customers make Trust utterly unmissable. God-tier. read more

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My dad fancies himself a chef, and constantly complains about how every restaurant uses poor quality ingredients and how a dish should be tweaked to taste better. You know, typical Asian parent where you're asked why you got an A instead of an A+. For his upcoming birthday, I wanted to take him out to a nice restaurant, but those are hard to come by in OC. I lived in NYC for a few years, so when I say nice I mean real culinary experiences. I happened to come across this place on Yelp and decided why not. Booked for a party of 5. Food game started out real strong. Their bread and butter is divine! So light, buttery, delicious... I'm dying to have a taste of it again. Please sell me your dough so I can bake at home!!! Next came the salad and our first seafood course, and I couldn't believe the words that came out of my dad's mouth: "You can taste the quality. So fresh. Delicious." Not every course was a home run though. The crab flavor didn't shine through in the risotto (I eat a lot of crab straight from the shell, and the king crab flavor was very subtle), and the ending pasta dish was undercooked. All said and done though, I would definitely return. Prices included tax, tip, and an unlimited wine pairing, so while it seemed expensive right off the bat, it actually ended up being quite affordable! Most people in my family don't drink, and it'd be nice if they offered a non-alcohol price option. read more

This is a wonderful dining experience if you are a foodie. The courses are great and you learn a lot in the process. We ate at the vegetarian dinner and loved it. It's a 2 hour journey with 18 passengers. read more

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Holy cow! What an experience! Came for the trust me steak dinner and it was amazing! The portions were much much larger than we expected. Great servings of meat and sides. The corn is mind blowingly good. The chats with the chef make the whole experience feel like you're at the chef's home. The sommelier had incredible pairings for every course. Definitely not a weekly dinner, but great for a special occasion! read more

Not only was the food fantastic but it was so much fun!! That sums it up. It's an experience. It is definitely is a bit pricey but if you love food and want to try something special this is worth it. It was 12ish course meal with paired alcohol. (No discount for those who don't drink alcohol). They take dietary restrictions into account when you book, but you "TRUST" the chef when you show up. Chef Justin is friendly and funny. You see him and the whole team the entire time. Very intimate in a fun way. They cook and prepare the food right in front of you. Each course was different and special in its own way. Each bite means so much more and you appreciate it so much more because the chef explains the process and vision that went into each course. It also makes the food taste that much better. I won't go into every dish in detail because it will change regularly. Hard to pinpoint my favorite because they were all really good but if I have to choose I would probably pick the first and the last dish. Probably because of the simplicity. I love a simple dish that is executed perfectly. The brioche bun to start with their home churned butter. It was fresh out of the oven. So perfect. Hot, steamy, light, chewy. The last course was a perfect kouign-amann. Again fresh out of the oven. Really enjoyed the salads too. Ride or die salad, used to be at Detention (no more). and the endive salad. If you have the money and want a special dining experience, definitely something to try. read more

Playground 2.0 is a dining experience like no other. It sells out every night they offer it, so you should definitely get on the email list to purchase your seat as soon as they are released. The method is as follows: each dinner has a theme, you receive an undetermined number of courses for a set price that includes tax, tip, and wine pairings, and the price varies depending on the theme. As of this date I believe the lowest I've seen is $175 and most are $200+. The setting is small and intimate. I want to say there are around 25 seats set around a counter facing the open kitchen where you can see the chefs work their magic. The vibe here is awesome and the opposite of being stuffy. They make it feel like you're having dinner with friends by cracking jokes, making conversation with everyone, and playing a cool mix of hip hop and indie music. Dishes are served family style, one per every 3 people, so I recommend coming in a group of 3 if you can. If not, sharing is caring. In 2015 I attended the Ultimate Steak Dinner and this year I attended Trustin led by the talented Chef Justin Werner. The theme of this one is Trust, so we went in without any idea of what we would get. And what we got were 15 courses of melt in your mouth, delectable treats. I won't go into detail since every night is different but highlights were Sous Vide Cauliflower Core with Bosc Pear and the most amazing sauce, and Steak Tartare with incredible house-made Sourdough Focaccia. I could have made a meal out of just those dishes but luckily that's not how things work here. You will literally have to roll yourself out because the portions are not small. And it's worth every penny for the quality and uniqueness of food, the fun experience, and the perfect wine and cocktail parings. Everyone who works here are so talented and down to earth. If you haven't been yet, what are you waiting for! read more

Trust - Trustin: Steak Tartare with Sourdough Focaccia, Cauliflower Core with Bosc Pear, Albacore, Sunchoke Chips with Tallegio Cheese Sauce - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Such a cool dinner concept! One of our good friends wanted to take me out to a nice dinner for getting into grad school. I had no idea what to expect or where we were going until we showed up. There are set dinner parties for up to 18 people with a certain theme. So every seat at the bar is full. You'll have to make reservations ahead of time. The theme of the night was pork. I really enjoyed it because you get to taste multiple different drinks such as champagne and wine throughout the night. The set up was more like a tasting party so there were multiple dishes to eat from and I got too full. Haha. All of the dishes were super yummy and punched with flavor. I really enjoyed the pasta and the salad. The chef explains each dish in detail so you know exactly what you are eating at all times. Such a cool concept! read more

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Amazing dinner - well worth the price The corn tempura, I want with every meal, now. The kernels have perfect little pop to them I didn't post any of the steak and meat dishes - this team always does any amazing job with protein but the veggie forward dishes were surprisingly my favorite read more

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Had been to many Playground 2.0 dinner over the years, but since Covid had just not been back. This is by no means a bad place to get some food, by a long shot, but for the caliber and price it unfortunately just felt like an imitation, and so it gets an OK from us. I'll try to keep it to a few notes: - This is a bit of a weird one, but the chefs describing the dishes were rehearsed to the point it was off-putting. We've been here before, I mean, how many different ways can you describe a dish? But this was more than that, this was like a scripted performance including memorized quips and banter. A chef describes the dish to one half, and everyone can hear it. Then another chef describes the dish to the other half. That would normally be fine EXCEPT they each were saying the same anecdotes and little wordplay jokes, that made it all just feel... fake. Or, inauthentic. A McMansion of an experience. And because that up close and personal authenticity is sort of the point of these single seating bar experiences... it impacted it to a degree that we don't think we'll be back. Which is a bummer. - Also a weird one for us, we love salt, but almost everything was crazy over seasoned. It was actually insane, to the point we could not take more than a bite or two of one of the dishes. Should've said something probably. - No stars deducted here but IMO it's just too much food. We were leaving bites on a plate, then leaving half a plate full, then only taking a bite or two of the later dishes and we still felt sickly full that night and next day. Maybe we're just getting too old for this ****. There's still a lot to love here, and the food is still largely great, but for us the overall experience now is just 3-stars "OK". If you've never been to anything like this before you'll love it. read more